1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to product dispensing equipment and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to methods and an apparatus for providing modular components in a beverage dispensing tower.
2. Description of the Related Art
Product dispensers in the beverage dispensing industry typically are hard plumbed, and have a life expectancy of approximately seven years. However, the product side of the product dispensing market changes rapidly, as food product manufacturers continuously create products aimed to capture a particular group of customers. Illustratively, beverage dispensing trends have moved from predominantly carbonated beverages to non-carbonated beverages in both conditioned and unconditioned forms, including waters, flavored waters, teas, juices, and the like. As such, retail account owners often find themselves with a product dispenser that is incapable of delivering newly popular products.
Problems arise when retail account owners desire to change their product availability. If the product dispenser is minimally upgradeable, it may not accommodate the newly desired product list. While multiple tower units provide some flexibility to remove and replace a portion of the product dispenser, the balance of the housing is typically hard plumbed, and there is no means for delivering ambient products. The problems are compounded when the beverage dispenser must be removed from a dispensing location to be retrofit, thereby forcing the establishment to lose sales and customers while the product dispenser is being retrofit.
Accordingly, a product dispenser that is reconfigurable in the field would be beneficial to product dispenser owners, product consumers, as well as product dispenser manufacturers.